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Last story this was a Elk hunting story in Idaho. My partners and I decided to try a September rifle hunt in the Selway which meant the bulls would be in rut. Having never hunted elk before during those months we would be able to bugle them in. This was back in the mid 90's I purchased a half dozen of these mouth reeds and a tube. We'll if you ever tried this before there's a learning curve and lots of practice (plus I didn't know what the hell I was doing). So along with the reeds I bought a cassette tape on how to bugle in elk. I worked outside sales at the time out of my car so I was in it all day everyday of the work week.
Took me a while and began to kinda get it and tape said if you got an answer just sit tight if you bugle and get answer.
So first morning out, I should mention we hired a outfitter to drop camp us in the mountains they provided riding mules and a pack string with our supplies tent etc.then dropped us in an area. They left with the animals so we where on our own.
First morning out the three of us split up and walked out of our camp. I hiked up this ridge with the sun coming up behind me I had almost reach the top of the ridge which was covered by jack pines when I saw some cow elk wondering through pines looked like six or seven cows with in 15 or so yards from my position. I bugled and almost immediately I got a bull to answer. The tape I listened to said to sit tight if you received a response so that what I did. In the meantime the cows were slowly disperseing amongst the jack pines. After holding tight for 15 mins I started walking again at the top of the south side of the ridge. Again I run into some cows and I bugled and again almost immediately I got a response and I could see cows again about 30 or so yards out in front of me in the pines. Ten or fifteen minutes go by again, I decided if I bugle and I get a response again I'm not going to sit tight I walking in the direction of the response.
So I bugled the bull responded at the top of the ridge so I began walking down over the top of the knoll to the north side. The sun was coming up behind me I was looking north down 30 of 40 yards I could see a bog with lots of track. I sat for maybe 10 mins of or so letting outa call here and there.
As I sat and listened I heard a branch crack, looking back up the ridge into the sun here comes a 6 or maybe a 7 point bull slowly moving down towards me. I was getting quick views mostly of the neck up. I was on my knees as he moved towards me of course heart pounding and out of breath I was doing my best to control emotions. The bull hung up behind some thick, thick brush (I forget what they called it I think devils something). I had a view of its upper neck and I didn't want to take the shot up high since this he was a trophy bull and I was having a time trying to stay steady. He stood there and didn't move for like what seemed a long time ( probably 15 seconds). I decided I needed to maybe try using a cow call to get him to move just a bit. Well I did that which didn't sound anything like a cow elk my mouth was so dry. It threw its head back and charged up back and over the ridge. Last I saw of it........ still one of the most exciting things I've encountered in the woods. I've probably thought of this encounter ten thousand times since it happened. Sorry about the story length.....
Took me a while and began to kinda get it and tape said if you got an answer just sit tight if you bugle and get answer.
So first morning out, I should mention we hired a outfitter to drop camp us in the mountains they provided riding mules and a pack string with our supplies tent etc.then dropped us in an area. They left with the animals so we where on our own.
First morning out the three of us split up and walked out of our camp. I hiked up this ridge with the sun coming up behind me I had almost reach the top of the ridge which was covered by jack pines when I saw some cow elk wondering through pines looked like six or seven cows with in 15 or so yards from my position. I bugled and almost immediately I got a bull to answer. The tape I listened to said to sit tight if you received a response so that what I did. In the meantime the cows were slowly disperseing amongst the jack pines. After holding tight for 15 mins I started walking again at the top of the south side of the ridge. Again I run into some cows and I bugled and again almost immediately I got a response and I could see cows again about 30 or so yards out in front of me in the pines. Ten or fifteen minutes go by again, I decided if I bugle and I get a response again I'm not going to sit tight I walking in the direction of the response.
So I bugled the bull responded at the top of the ridge so I began walking down over the top of the knoll to the north side. The sun was coming up behind me I was looking north down 30 of 40 yards I could see a bog with lots of track. I sat for maybe 10 mins of or so letting outa call here and there.
As I sat and listened I heard a branch crack, looking back up the ridge into the sun here comes a 6 or maybe a 7 point bull slowly moving down towards me. I was getting quick views mostly of the neck up. I was on my knees as he moved towards me of course heart pounding and out of breath I was doing my best to control emotions. The bull hung up behind some thick, thick brush (I forget what they called it I think devils something). I had a view of its upper neck and I didn't want to take the shot up high since this he was a trophy bull and I was having a time trying to stay steady. He stood there and didn't move for like what seemed a long time ( probably 15 seconds). I decided I needed to maybe try using a cow call to get him to move just a bit. Well I did that which didn't sound anything like a cow elk my mouth was so dry. It threw its head back and charged up back and over the ridge. Last I saw of it........ still one of the most exciting things I've encountered in the woods. I've probably thought of this encounter ten thousand times since it happened. Sorry about the story length.....
